


Small Casualties

by I_Write_Sins_and_Tragedies



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Explicit mentions of human and animal death, Gen, Omnic Crisis, Pre-Fall of Overwatch, blood mentions, mild swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-08
Updated: 2017-05-08
Packaged: 2018-10-29 12:02:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,822
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10853613
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/I_Write_Sins_and_Tragedies/pseuds/I_Write_Sins_and_Tragedies
Summary: During one solo mission in the midst of the Omnic Crisis, Gabriel happens upon the lone survivor of a town ravaged by machines.





	Small Casualties

**Author's Note:**

> Oh, look, it's miss "Jackass With A Multi-Chapter Story She Isn't Spending This Time And Effort On". Sorry, sorry. But I got this prompt and really wanted to write it out. 
> 
> (Sis, you started it.)
> 
> Enjoy!

Gabriel's boots fell heavily upon and among the debris scattered over a street. Chunks of wood, concrete and drywall from the torn up houses lining his path were strewn about like the pieces of a disassembled jigsaw puzzle. He shifted his weight with each rapid step, adjusting and compensating for the unstable terrain that could betray him to a sprained ankle at any moment. Perhaps on another day, he wouldn't be in such a hazardous rush. Then again, on another day, there might not have been several dozen omnics patrolling the area in search of his scarred hide.

As it was, he just kept running through the ruined town's roads and alleyways, trying to gain enough distance between himself and his pursuers so that he could allow himself a moment of rest. And perhaps long enough to drink the surely lukewarm water in the canteen he had strapped to his hip, if not at least to do that and reload his shotguns. He'd inconveniently spent their last few loaded rounds carving out a path through the omnics that had cornered him not ten minutes earlier. There was no time to reload as he narrowly escaped the converging horde, and he still wasn't sure if there was enough breathing room to slow down and do so now. It was times like this that made him glad his guns were heavy enough to be used as formidable clubs...

Luckily for his weapons' paint, however, Gabriel didn't encounter any omnics as he reached the outskirts of the devastated suburbs. He simply came across a relatively intact house and hopped through its shattered window with a nearly silent grunt. It was an immediate relief to be both out of the midday sun's harsh glare and free from possibly being spotted by any wandering omnics. A chance that he didn't squander by standing dumbly in front of the window.

Reyes crouched and darted deeper into the house immediately, exploring and mapping out all entryways and potential escape routes. Any thoughts of searching for survivors died when he quickly checked the basement, finding two women and who looked like a teenager dead on the floor. Their bullet-riddled corpses, though spared from the sun's rot-enhancing touch, were already emanating a stench that made his stomach flip, and he had to pull his gaze away before his mind could begin painting a theoretical picture of what the three victims were like in life. Unfortunately, scanning the rest of the room only brought his attention to another sad sight.

Walking closer to be sure he was seeing properly in the gloom, Gabriel stared down at a splatter of blood and fuzz in front of him. A shaggy dog that he guessed was some mixed breed involving a German Shepherd and Border Collie lay at his feet. It was still and lifeless, coat matted with blood. Right beyond its corpse was what he initially thought was a disproportionately large pet bed, though the mystery of its size was answered after a moment. Four smaller bodies lay on the fabric, all shot and dead like what he assumed was their mother. All so small that he could easily tell that they hadn't been alive for more than a couple months.

Without his bidding, the scene of what happened played through Reyes' head. The women and teenager all huddled in the corner like frightened sardines in a can. Holding each other, eyes wide and breaths caught. Too late for evacuation and left to cower in their home as they waited to see if the omnics would find them. The mother dog gathers her offspring behind herself, waiting with her ears erect and twitching. A metal monster clanking its way down the stairs rhythmically, causes the humans to cower and the dog to growl as she stood, belly low and tail flicking as she prepared to defend her family.

The grim reaper comes, not clothed in black robes but armored in shining metal as it observes the living targets. A scream perhaps tears out of one of the three in the corner, and the dog lunges at the cause of her humans' distress. The omnic shoots the loyal protector, urging on the tears and terror welling up from the humans. What follows is an execution, its automatic gun leaving behind the bloody mess that Gabriel has already observed. Maybe it thought the pups were a threat, maybe it was annoyed by their distressed yips and whines. Hell, for all he knew, it just put down the young creatures in an act of pure malice. It wouldn't alarm him if that was the reason. After all, shooting down an unarmed and terrified family as they cried and cowered in their own home was a completely cruel and malicious act. He wouldn't be surprised if the omnics used live kittens as baseballs for recreation.

He was definitely surprised when something tugged at his dusty pant-leg. Gabriel nearly kicked the offender, head snapping down so fast that he later wondered why it didn't make him dizzy. On the floor, right next to his boot with its tiny muzzle fastened around his garment, was a puppy. One quick check confirmed that the four bundles of lifeless fluff hadn't moved, and the mental replay of events added a new segment. One where a pup in the litter, hidden behind its brothers' and sisters' bodies, survived the omnic's attack and lay waiting for help. One where the small creature immediately chose to trust the first human that wandered into its pit of despair and insistently wrestled with his trousers in a bid for attention.

Very slowly, Gabriel crouched down and wrapped his hands around the pup. It was painfully clear that the poor animal was exhausted, and he could feel it trembling just from brushing its ragged fur. And more heart-breakingly, he could also feel the patch of blood on its hind leg where a bullet must have hit. But there were no yips or growls or whines. Just a pitiful scramble to lick his wrist and palm as the pup huddled against whatever contact was offered. He spent a long few moments staring at the small survivor, spurred back into action with the overwhelming stench's reminder that there were still hostiles around.

The process of reloading his guns went quickly, sped on by years of practice and a growing sense of urgency. After drinking his fill from the canteen, Reyes poured a little into his palm and held it down so the pup could reach. It eagerly drank until there was nothing left, receiving a couple more handfuls before Gabriel's mental clock became too loud to ignore. He scooped the animal up, making sure his hoodie was tucked under his freshly-tightened belt before depositing it under the fabric. Surely a painful and uncomfortable arrangement, but one they would both have to deal with until evac arrived. Whenever _that_ happened.

"'Don't worry, Gabe. We'll have you out of there soon as you ask for a ride, Gabe. There are only a couple dozen omnics, _Gabe. Nothing you can't handle, my ass, Gabe._ '" He growled softly as he trudged back up the stairs, shaking his head and readying his shotguns. When command said there were going to be a few enemy reinforcements, they should have clarified that they meant three more squads of the damned things. As it was, he was going to have to make the most out of his dwindling ammo supply and newly-founded rage and determination to last until evac arrived.

The next half hour was spent in a constant back-and-forth game of cat and mouse between Gabriel and the omnics. Sometimes, he would be running for his and his furry companion's lives as omnics clustered together, others he would be ambushing packs of the machines like an angry ghost that always vanished with a trail of carnage in its wake. The pup remained thankfully and surprisingly quiet throughout the whole ordeal, occasionally squirming and whining when he bent or twisted the wrong way. It was a saving grace that it was so silent though, and he hoped it would be as quiet when they managed to escape the town altogether. Pets were much more of a rarity and burden since the crisis began, and loud ones could be potentially lethal for very obvious reasons. But a silent watchdog would be a valuable, also for obvious reasons.

It was on the final stretch of the wait for evac when he ran out of ammo. Gabriel's sharp reflexes were what saved him, along with his now-confirmed theory that smashing an omnic's head between his two shotguns was in fact quite effective. He opted for an escape-and-evade tactic from there on out, focusing on avoiding further detection until he saw a ship fly overhead and his comm crackled to life.

_"Commander Reyes, this is-"_

"My evac, yeah, I got that. Where are you landing?" He glanced up and down the street he turned onto, noting that it was free of omnics with equal levels of relief and concern. If he saw that ship, the buckets of bolts certainly did as well.

_"Setting down on the south-eastern side of town and awaiting your arrival, sir."_

_Halfway across this god-forsaken place..._

"Acknowledged."

He spared no more time for chatter, simply beginning to run towards the rendezvous as though he was the one with a tail and it was on fire. Any omnics he came across were either avoided or clubbed to artificial death, left behind as he beelined for the ship that soon came into view. No sooner did he barrel on board than an order to take off was given.

Airborne and safe from danger, Gabriel sighed long and slow as he allowed his chin to meet his chest. His eyes were met with the sight of the entire lower front half of his hoodie soaked in blood, and he swiftly sat down and eased the puppy back out from his clothing. But there was no struggling, no whimpering or whining. There were no signs of life as he laid the pup in his lap and saw its wound in sufficient lighting for the first time. There was just a lot of blood and a lot less breathing. Dead on the homestretch.

With a long sigh, Reyes lowered his head once again and began petting the creature as he mulled over the scene before. Eyes shut, it was easy to imagine the pup lying in the darkness surrounded by the corpses of its family. Licking the wound as it whined to nobody about how much it hurt. Easing off the bleeding until a supposed savior picked it up and jarred it around. Until all the bouncing and running reopened the barely-healed hole and left it to silently succumb to death without any form of comfort.

He just hoped it found its humans and family in whatever next life animals may go to.

**Author's Note:**

> Okay yes, I'm sorry. I'm gonna throw my sister under the bus here and point out that she's the one who gave me the prompt for Gabriel finding a puppy during one mission. In which he tries to save the poor thing and it dies anyways. And I immediately latched onto the idea with sadistic glee while promising to write it out. 
> 
> There are a few logic bombs in this, such as "Why is Gabriel in his Blackwatch armor during the Omnic Crisis?" And my answer to that is that it's 2 AM at the time I am writing this note and I am a very tired and bleary person. Bad excuse, but I won't apologize. 
> 
> Anyways, I might write a second chapter to this, depending on the feedback I get. Speaking of, comments are very welcome and appreciated! I hope you enjoyed this little piece of heartache! Buh-bye!


End file.
